Down The Garden Path Podcast

Is October really the time to cut everything back and put the garden to bed? Not necessarily. In this episode, we've gathered some of Joanne's best tips for October in the garden. She shares why October can actually be one of the easiest months, with just a few simple tasks to focus on and plenty you can leave alone.
Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode:
Do less this fall: There's no need for a major fall cleanup. Most perennials can be left standing, leaf litter can remain, and spent plant material provides a winter habitat for beneficial insects.
Prepare for next year: October is a good time to assess the garden, take photos, identify gaps, water newly planted trees and shrubs deeply, mulch fallen leaves into the lawn, and plant garlic.
Bulbs and lawn care: Discover why you should buy spring bulbs now but wait until late October or November to plant them. Learn more about fall lawn care, including reseeding, leaving grass taller, fertilizing and dealing with weeds.
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect via her website at down2earth.ca.
Are you a landscape or gardening expert?
We'd love to have you on the show! Click here to learn more. Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca
Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.
Down the Garden Path Podcast
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 
In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.
Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Not sure what to do with your roses this fall? This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne is joined by master gardener and author Cauleen Viscoff to talk about making rose care a little less intimidating.
They cover fall rose care, winter preparation, planting and moving roses, climbing roses, common pests and, of course, pruning. Cauleen also shares the story behind her upcoming book, Pruning Roses: From Mystery to Mastery, and why understanding how a rose grows is the key to knowing how to prune it.
Here are some of the topics discussed in this episode:
Fall Rose Care and Winter Preparation: Why fall is not the time for major pruning, how mulch can help, when winter protection is actually necessary, and why choosing hardy roses suited to your zone makes a big difference.
Choosing, Planting and Growing Roses Successfully: Learn more about hardy shrub roses, carpet roses, hybrid teas and climbing roses, including companion planting, moving roses in fall, proper watering and how to train climbing roses for better flowering.
Taking the Mystery Out of Rose Pruning: Cauleen explains how learning the different growth habits of roses makes pruning much easier and shares how her own sketches became the foundation for her upcoming book and pruning reference cards.
To learn more about Cauleen and her upcoming book, visit lush-gardens.com.
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca
Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.
Down the Garden Path Podcast
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 
In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.
Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Have you considered adding native ornamental grasses to your garden? They're often overlooked but add colour, texture, and movement while providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife. This week on the podcast, Joanne takes a closer look at a few standout varieties that can bring interest to the garden well beyond the summer months.
Some of the topics covered in this week's episode:
Why Native Ornamental Grasses Belong in the Garden
How native grasses add structure, movement and seasonal interest while also providing food and shelter for birds and other wildlife.
Big Bluestem, Little Bluestem and Their Cultivars
Joanne compares these native grasses and highlights varieties such as Standing Ovation, Blackhawks and Red October, including their size, colour and growth habits.
Getting More Seasonal Value from Ornamental Grasses
Leave grasses standing through fall and winter for visual interest, wildlife benefits, and stronger garden structure.
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca
Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.
Down the Garden Path Podcast
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 
In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.
Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Looking for a hydrangea that gives you plenty of colour without taking over your garden? This week on the podcast, Joanne shares three dwarf hydrangeas she has grown in her own garden: Fire Light Tidbit®, Little Lime Punch® and Invincibelle Limetta®. She looks at how each one grows, where it performs best, and why these smaller varieties can be such a good fit for today's gardens and smaller spaces.
Some of the topics covered in this week's episode:
Three dwarf hydrangeas for smaller gardens: Fire Light Tidbit®, Little Lime Punch® and Invincibelle Limetta®  offer long-lasting blooms and strong garden impact without taking over the space.
Choosing the right dwarf hydrangea for your conditions: Joanne compares the size, colour, bloom style, sunlight needs and growth habits of each variety, helping gardeners understand where each dwarf hydrangea is likely to perform best.
 Using dwarf hydrangeas in your garden design: Learn how smaller hydrangea varieties can work in perennial beds, shade gardens, mass plantings and compact landscapes, making them a versatile option for townhouses, newer homes and gardens where space is limited.
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca
Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.
Down the Garden Path Podcast
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 
In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise and their combined experiences in helping others create and maintain thriving gardens into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.
Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.

Wondering what you can still get done in the garden before the season wraps up?
This week on Down the Garden Path, Joanne explains why fall is still a great time to add compost, plant new perennials, divide and move existing plants, and even start a brand-new garden bed. She also shares an easy, low-maintenance way to create a new garden using cardboard, compost and mulch so you can be ready to plant when spring arrives.
Some of the topics covered in this week's episode:
It is not too late to add compost or soil to your garden.
Organic material is best. You probably have enough soil, and if you want to increase the volume or improve the soil, adding compost or manure is best.
It is not too late to plant new plants.
You can safely add plants to your garden until the end of October.
It is not too late to move your existing plants or to divide plants and relocate them in your garden.
Peonies especially prefer to be transplanted in the fall, and it just makes sense for spring-blooming plants so that you don't miss out on the blooms.
It is not too late to start a new garden.
Removing sod, adding triple mix plus more compost, then adding the plants really gets you ahead for next year. And if you don't want to remove the sod, consider Hellstrip (aka lasagna) gardening.
Have a topic you'd like Joanne to discuss?
Email your questions and comments to downthegardenpathpodcast@hotmail.com, or connect with Joanne on her website: down2earth.ca
Find Down the Garden Path on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: @downthegardenpathpodcast.
Down the Garden Path Podcast
On Down The Garden Path, professional landscape designer Joanne Shaw discusses down-to-earth tips and advice for your plants, gardens and landscapes. As the owner of Down2Earth Landscape Design, Joanne Shaw has been designing beautiful gardens for homeowners east of Toronto for over a decade. She does her best to bring you interesting, relevant and useful topics to help you keep your garden as low-maintenance as possible. 
In Down the Garden Path: A Step-By-Step Guide to Your Ontario Garden, Joanne and fellow landscape designer Matthew Dressing distill their horticultural and design expertise, along with their combined experience helping others create and maintain thriving gardens, into one easy-to-read monthly reference guide. Get your copy today on Amazon.
Don't forget to check out Down the Garden Path on your favourite podcast app and subscribe! You can now catch the podcast on YouTube.